Recently, an email came citing these most alarming facts. If you have any doubts or are relucant to conduct background checks on prospective employees perhaps these tidbits will show you the error your judgment. Here, let these facts sink in:
The economic and human costs of drug and alcohol use are astounding. The National Institute of Health reports that alcohol and drug abuse costs the economy upwards of $250 billion. In the workplace, substance abusers become your problem – nearly three out of four hold jobs. Consider these facts about substance abusers in the workplace:
They are ten times more likely to miss work
They are 33 percent less productive
They are five times more likely to injure themselves or other workers and cause 40 percent of all industrial fatalities
According to OSHA, drug and alcohol abusers file five times as many workers’ compensation claims as non-abusers
Working at minimal capacity, these workers increase other employees’ workloads, reduce productivity and compromise product quality. Their absence and health care demands increase costs. These workers reduce competitiveness and profitability, weakening their employers’ companies.
Since Corra Group is a background checking company we review a considerable number of reports that show a candidate’s substance abuse problems. As experienced investigators and researchers we see the behavior patteners that mark such abuse. There more obvious red flags are DUI convictions, a history of domestic strife, and often there are financial and credit problems. There is no doubt such an employee can lower the morale of their related department, and as word spreads, perhpaps the entire workplace. Often substance abusers are more prone to violence in the workplace. They demonstrate erratic behavior patterns that can intimidate and exasperate their fellow workers.
Of course none of this even begins to address the liability exposure your business has if a substance abuser decides to take his problems out on the other workers. If he should decide that physical or sexual abuse is a solution to what’s ailing him, the employer becomes liable for the injuries incurred by his fellow employees. One employee who snaps out against the people around him can be a major public embarrassment to a business, to say nothing of large financial settlements, court costs, loss of time and psychological damage suffered by other workers. The consequences are even worse if your unstable employee has a history of substance abuse and you, the employer, failed to do due diligence.
So don’t ever think you are being prudent or cost-effective by avoiding employment screenings. Savng those couple of bucks isn’t being prudent. Being thorough is being prudent. The bucks you save by not conducting a background check can cost you millions as the end result. It is bad business and bad faith to bring the wrong person into your family of workers.
Do the right thing. Do the smart thing. Always….Check Them Out Before You Hire.
